Africa-Press – Uganda. Kabarole District Council on Wednesday passed a Shs30.2 billion budget for the Financial Year 2021/2022, down from this financial year’s Shs38 billion.
In the new district budget, sectors such as education and health have taken the lion’s share of Shs 8.9 billion and Shs 6.3 billion, respectively.
Marketing and production took Shs3.4 billion while administration received Shs5 billion.The secretary of Finance, Planning and Administration, Mr Richard Tatina, said their main target is to bring services closer to the people.
Budget short fall
The reduction in the new budget has been attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected various sectors.Mr Tatina said the district would miss out on the Shs6.2 billion under the Agriculture Cluster Development Programme (ACDP), which was meant for community access roads.
“We had budgeted for ACDP funds amounting to Shs6.2 billion, but we were told there is no funding for this year,” he said.In the 2020/2021 budget, the major focus was on the Education sector with Shs11.7 billion, followed by Health Shs6.7 billion, while production and marketing took Shs 7.3 billion, among others.
Other sectors such as administration took Shs8.5 billion, roads and engineering Shs 1.5 billion, water Shs713 million, while community-based services took Shs613 million.
New budget
Under the new budget, the district intends to upgrade health centre IIs to health centre IIIs, construct seed schools and extend water to communities.The Kabarole District chairperson, Mr Richard Rwabuhinga, said 51 parishes in the district will receive Shs2.3 billion under the parish model grant.
“Under this new budget and the arrangement of government, each parish will be given Shs41 million per year as revolving grant,” Mr Rwabuhinga said.The government in the forthcoming budget 2021/2022 has earmarked Shs404.3 billion for capitalisation of the parish revolving funds.
Under the heath budget, the district allocated Shs855.2 million to upgrade Ihrihura Health Centre II, Shs 855.2 for the construction of Kiko Health Centre III, where the district will build maternity ward, OPD, staff house, latrine and equipments, Shs150 million for the construction of staff houses at Nyatabooma Health Centre III, Shs180 million for staff house at Nyakitokoli Health Centre III.
The district will also build a maternity ward at Kichwamba Health Centre III at Shs280 million, staff house at Kijura and Kichwamba each at Shs80 million. There will also be completion of a staff house at Kabende Heath Centre II at Shs40 million.
With a total of Shs798 million under UGFIT, the money will be used for the construction of Kichwamba Seed secondary School in Kichwamba Sub-county.
The construction of two classrooms at Nyarukamba Primary School will cost Shs100 million, at St Kizito Primary School, Shs90 million will be utilised and Kamabaale Primary School will cost Shs100 million.
Also primary schools of Mbunga, Kaboyo, St Kizito, Kabende, Bwanika and Pere Achite will get four-stance latrines at Shs25 million and Shs51 million will purchase furniture.
How was this year’s budget spent?
In the current budget, the district embarked on construction of the Shs1.9 billion Nyabweya Seed School in Kasenda Sub-county that is at completion level, two classroom blocks at Kyatambara, Bwanika, Mahyoro primary schools each at Shs80 million.
Also the district rehabilitated Kinyankende and Nyansozi while construction of Kichwamba Seed School is at procurement level. Also, a four stance latrine was built at Nyakitokoli Primary School at Shs21 million.With the budget of roads and engineering of Shs1.5 billion, a number of roads were worked on and maintained.
The roads include Kaboyo-Kyezire-Kazingo, Kinyankende-Mugusu, Isunga-Raihamba, Rwaihamba-Kyakatama-Rweraza, Kisongi-Munobwa, Katoma-Bwabya, Kyembogo-Kicuna-Mporampora, Kichwamba-Kiburara, among others.
Under the health department, with district budget of Shs485.9 million, Nyantaboma Health Centre II was upgraded by constructing a maternity ward, female ward and paediatrics ward and there is ongoing construction and upgrade of Nyakitokoli Health Centre II in Karangura Sub-county at Shs650 million.
The district received Shs589 million for water development and the money was used to extend piped water to Kibasi in Hakibaale, Kazingo-Mukyeya, Katoma-Nyabwina. Also rehabilitation of Bisonde water source in Karangura and with partnership with IRC and NWSC, piped water was also extended to Kasesenge Village.
